MBE in Clinical Practice Session 7 Discussion

Session 7: Connecting

7.0 What Connection Means to Me

Answer the following questions. Try to be as specific as possible in your answers:

When I feel connected in a spiritual sense, I am…

* calm, peaceful, grateful, not lonely, compassionate and supported.

When I feel connected, my thoughts are…

* positive, compassionate and empathetic.

When I feel connected, my feelings are…

* content, joyful, loving

When I feel connected, my body is…

* calm, relaxed and supported

When I feel connected, my spirit is…

* alive




7.1 Things that Keep Me from Feeling Connected

Write down things that keep you from feeling connected to others, to nature, to the divine, and to your own True Self. Try to think of at least three.

1. Worry/anxiety/fear
2. Past trauma and experiences where it is difficult to trust myself and others
3. Co-dependency features - needing control
4. Distrust
5. Poor communication
6. Stress
7. Too busy with work demands, etc.
8. Feel like I am not part of the crowd or left out - not understood or valued
9. Judgement - Boredom of other’s company
10. Insecurity

7.2 Faces and Masks Exercise

We all have different faces (masks) that we present to others. These masks sometimes change depending on the person and/or the situation. The psychoanalyst Carl Jung called these masks the persona. Persona is Latin for “mask.” In ancient Rome actors often wore masks that portrayed the characters they were playing.

We all have characters, or masks, that we like to put on from time to time. For this exercise, we’re going to create a mask for the character of your own True Self.

To begin this exercise, meditate for a while on the nature and character of your own True Self. The True Self, for the purposes of this exercise, is the person you are if you are living up to your own highest aspirations for yourself.

When you have a good image of your own True Self in mind, answer the following questions before going on to the next page:

What is the nature of your True Self? Are you a lover, a warrior, a sage, a teacher, a trickster, a peacemaker, or something else? What word best describes who you are?

According to the classic Jungian atrchetypes - I would say my true self is a combo of the Innocent and The Explorer also sage and jester.

The best word to describe who I am would be ‘free’ or ‘freedom’.

What are the elements of nature that might reflect the nature of your own True Self? Are you patient like a mountain? Strong like an oak? Wise like an owl? Playful like a coyote? What elements of nature best describe who you are?

Radiant like the sunlight, free and moving/changing like the wind and caring like an elephant.

How might these elements of nature assist you in finding your True Self? When you create your mask, how might you incorporate these elements into its design?

I think these elements can remind me of the elements of my true self and help me stay connected to those. For example, I have tattoos of nature spaces that make me happy. When I see them, I am reminded of my true self in those places.


CREATING YOUR MASK
Now that you have a good idea of which elements to incorporate into your mask, gather the materials to make it. Try to focus on natural materials as much as possible, using wood, feathers, twigs, leaves, leather, etc. Many Native American tribes used dried gourds for this purpose.

When you create your mask, hold the idea in mind that it is a representation of your True Self; the person you are in the process of becoming. As such, when finished the mask should tell your own story in such a way that anyone looking at it would have a good idea of who you are.

When you have finished constructing your mask, go on to the next section of this worksheet and answer the questions below. Do not attempt to answer these questions until you have completed your mask. It may help, when answering the questions below, to meditate or take a walk in the woods first.

REFLECTIONS ON THE ‘TRUE SELF’ MASK
Now that you have completed your mask, what did the exercise teach you about your own body and how you relate to it? Be as specific as possible when answering.

Completing the mask made me realize that my body is not at all connected to my real self. My true self does not feel solid, like my body does. I wasn’t thinking about my body at all when creating this mask - I was thinking about qualities that primarily do not have form. That being said, I have a neutral feeling about my body after completing the mask.


Now that you have completed your mask, what did the exercise teach you about the way you think about your True Self? Be as specific as possible when answering.


This mask helped me think about my true self less in words and ideas and more in textures, colors and materials. It is winter and snowy where I live and I didn’t have as many natural materials to work with - but felt compelled to work with what I had. I felt more connected to my true self - when thinking of how it “looked” as well as giving it form.


Now that you have completed your mask, what did the exercise teach you about your passions? About what you really care about, and what gives your life meaning? Be as specific as possible when answering.

I thought more about the feeling I have when thinking of my true self - freedom, movement, love. When thinking about my passions - it makes total sense in relation to the above qualities. I love having adventures, being outdoors and seeing new places. Another passion is new experiences. I also enjoy being helpful to others; specifically allowing another person to feel vulnerable and non-judged. This experience helped me to connect what I enjoy to core qualities.


Now that you have completed your mask, what did the exercise teach you about your own spiritual development? Be as specific as possible when answering.

The mask helped me to see that I am currently on a spiritual path and I have desires to feel connected spiritually - and at my core I already am. I also think I could loosen up about the rules I have associated with spirituality as well as the judgement I have surrounding it. When I look at my mask - my true self would laugh at things that they find funny - not judge them and then move on.


Imagine an archaeologist digs up your mask a thousand years in the future. What might this archaeologist conclude about the person who wore it? Would the mask be a good representation of who you are? Be as specific as possible when answering.

Ironically, I think someone would think the person was very goofy and eccentric. Qualities I think I have, but are not the core or qualities many people would describe as my true self. I think they would think the person was connected to nature and possibly a mystic.

7.3 Ways I’d Like to Feel Connected

Go back to your list of Things That Keep Me from Feeling Connected. For all of those things on your list that act as barriers to connection, there are also things that you would like to be connected to, but are not. List the things you’d like to be connected to below. Keep the focus on things that would foster a spiritual connection of unconditional acceptance, love, and security. The things on this list can be things from the previous list, or entirely new things, or people. Try to think of at least three:

1. People (in general)
2. Ocean (I don’t live near one)
3. My community
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.


7.8 Root Memes that Act as Barriers to Connection

What personal memes might be keeping you from feeling more connected to nature, to others, and to your own True Self? List them below:

1. Distrust
2. Insecurity
3. Judgement
4. Fear
5. Stress
6. Need for Control
7. Jealousy
8. Distrust
9. Misunderstood
10. Flaky

Now that you have identified some of those root memes, pick the one that seems the most prominent or the most significant, and answer the following questions:



What is the nature of the problem meme/habit? (What do I hope to achieve in thinking/behaving this way? What is my Intention?)

Insecurity - the nature of this meme for me is not trusting myself or others, continuous questioning of others intentions or actions and questioning my own feelings/responses/desires. I don’t think I am intentionally behaving and responding with insecurity. I believe it was something that was planted at an early age - and is maintained out of habit. I think insecurity is a protective habit - meant to protect me - in case I do something wrong that would result in criticism or ‘getting in trouble’.

How is the problem maintained? (Which behaviors do I want to change? Is there a way to change how I think about it so that it is no longer a problem?)

Problem is maintained by allowing myself to question and allowing habits that are associated with insecurity such as laughing a lot when I am saying something I feel insecure about. I maintain this behavior by judging others (might temporarily make me feel more secure in myself). In social situations I usually feel uncomfortable if I am not the center of attention and I think this fuels insecurity as well.


Why do I engage in this meme/habit in the first place? (Why is this behavior important to me? What would I lose if I let it go? What would I gain? What is my motivation for continuing this belief/meme?)

I think that I engage in this habit to protect myself - and to keep myself in ‘check’ so I don’t offend others etc. I also think that I sometimes think by being insecure it prevents me from being egotistical or bragging. I would loose some security if I let it go - because I feel more secure when I am questioning - rather that just accepting my self and others.


Practice this exercise whenever you feel disconnected from others, from nature, and from yourself. The more often you practice it, the easier it will become to re-connect.